Drinking straws are commonly used as a means to consume nourishing liquids. Conventional straws typically cause a liquid to be drawn through the straw and projected directly to the upper palate of the mouth. In the case of a cold liquid, a condition called “brain freeze” or headache can result and last for up to 20 seconds after the liquid touches the upper palate and posterior pharyngeal wall of the mouth. This pain is usually located in the midfrontal area, but can be unilateral in the temporal, frontal, or retro-orbital region of the head. Drinking straws that address objectives of diverting the flow of liquid away from the upper palate, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,091 to Cha, exist in the prior art. Cha discloses a straw that includes an output opening comprising an output shield and a first projection for diverting a fluid downward towards the tongue rather than striking the roof of the mouth. Cha contemplates a straw with a plurality of projections and extensions that make it impractical to be mass-produced in a cost effective manner. Furthermore, it is not apparent that this type of structure would effectively divert a flow of liquid, considering the lack of structural stability of these independent plastic projections while under pressure from a liquid.